It looked like any one of three drivers in a late-race dog fight might pull off the win Friday night at the West Texas Raceway, but just as it had been on 148 previous occasions it was Jason Hughes standing in USMTS victory lane.

Following two quick cautions on the first two laps of the race, it was clean and green for the rest of the 40-lapper as the Best of the Best in dirt modified racing gave the fans in Lubbock, Texas, a wild nail-biter in the inaugural event at the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval.

Sybesma Graphics Pole Award winner Joe Duvall stepped out to lead the early stages of the race, setting the pace for the first 25 laps with R.C. Whitwell in hot pursuit while Hughes battled with his teammate, Ryan Gustin, for the third spot.

Hughes got around Gustin for good with 15 laps in the books, disposed of Whitwell on lap 21 and then scooted by Duvall on the outside five laps later while the leaders danced in and out of lapped cars.

Whitwell and Gustin followed into second and third, respectively, with 29 laps complete while ‘Big Daddy’ kept them in his sights in fourth.

With Hughes staying primarily on the low side of the track, Whitwell made several runs on the outside but was never able to seal the deal. Meanwhile, Gustin was testing out every inch of the track surface in search of a faster line.

All three drivers came to the final lap in near three-wide formation. Hughes held strong on the bottom while Gustin dove underneath Whitwell, and then slammed the door at the finish line to garner the runner-up finish behind his car owner and one spot ahead of his fellow former Gressel Racing pilot.

Duvall comfortably rolled to a fourth-place finish while Real Racing Wheels “B” Main #1 winner Stormy Scott rounded out the top five at the flagstand ahead of Cade Dillard, who came from the 23rd starting position after using a provisional start.

Philip Houston held on for seventh, Zack VanderBeek was eighth, Travis Saurer finished ninth and Tyler Wolff collected the final top-10 paycheck.

The 8th Annual Amarillo Ambush takes place on Saturday at the Route 66 Motor Speedway with pits opening at 4:30 p.m. and grandstands open at 6. Hot laps start at 6:30 and the first heat race hits the track at 7 p.m. General admission is $15, kids ages 4 and under get in for free and pit passes are $30. The four-division card will be rounded out by Street Stocks, Limited Late Models and Limited Modifieds.

The Route 66 Motor Speedway is a 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval located 1.5 miles south of I-40 at exit 75 on Lakeside Dr. in Amarillo. For more information, call the track office at (806) 383-0375 or (806) 335-3478 for race day updates. The track’s website is www.route66motorspeedway.com.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts and Instagram at www.instagram.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv. Keep up to speed with everything USMTS by joining our email list at www.usmts.com/subscribe.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental – Summit Racing Southern Region presented by Production Jars
West Texas Raceway, Lubbock, Texas
Friday, May 5, 2017

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and money won.

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (7) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
2. (2) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas.
3. (5) 44 Austin Junod, Lubbock, Texas.
4. (6) 28d Cory Davis, Eunice, N.M.
5. (3) 11 Kade Ogle, Lubbock, Texas.
6. (8) 49 Vince Ogle, Lubbock, Texas.
7. (1) P38 Gary Puckett, Post, Texas.
8. (4) 47x Knick Stewart, Amarillo, Texas.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (3) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (6) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (1) 7 A.J. Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas.
4. (5) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.
5. (7) 23g Jim Gress, Amarillo, Texas.
6. (2) F4 Fred Wojtek, Blackwell, Texas.
7. (8) 21 Austin Bonner, Elk City, Okla.
8. (4) 26 Austin Huskey (R), Lubbock, Texas.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (2) 78 Trevor Egbert, Salado, Texas.
2. (6) 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz.
3. (5) 1s Travis Saurer (R), Elizabeth, Minn.
4. (8) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
5. (4) 10 Dee Gossett, Amarillo, Texas.
6. (7) 12b Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark.
7. (1) 88r A.J. Vasquez, Garden City, Mich.
8. (3) 79 Mark Patterson, Merkel, Texas.

THE JOIE OF SEATING HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (2) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
3. (3) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
4. (4) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark.
5. (6) 18z Zane DeVilbiss (R), Farmington, N.M.
6. (8) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
7. (7) 75 Alan Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas.
8. (5) J41 Monte Bolton, Wolfforth, Texas.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (1) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (7) 21 Austin Bonner, Elk City, Okla.
3. (3) 23g Jim Gress, Amarillo, Texas.
4. (5) 49 Vince Ogle, Lubbock, Texas.
5. (6) 12b Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark.
6. (4) 11 Kade Ogle, Lubbock, Texas., Shaw/Mullins, $75.
7. (10) 79 Mark Patterson, Merkel, Texas., Hughes/Duvall, $75.
8. (2) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.
9. (9) 47x Knick Stewart, Amarillo, Texas., Smiley’s/Herring, $75.
10. (8) 88r A.J. Vasquez, Garden City, Mich., LG2/Farris, $75.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (2) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark.
2. (3) 18z Zane DeVilbiss (R), Farmington, N.M.
3. (1) 28d Cory Davis, Eunice, N.M.
4. (9) 26 Austin Huskey (R), Lubbock, Texas.
5. (6) F4 Fred Wojtek, Blackwell, Texas.
6. (8) 75 Alan Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas, SRP/GMPP, $75.
7. (5) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
8. (10) J41 Monte Bolton, Wolfforth, Texas, MBCustom/Sput’s, $90.
9. (4) 10 Dee Gossett, Amarillo, Texas, GRT/Carroll’s, $75.
10. (7) P38 Gary Puckett, Post, Texas, Hughes/Herring, $75.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (5) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $3000.
2. (7) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $1700.
3. (3) 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz., MBCustom/Hatfield, 40, $1200.
4. (1) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., MBCustom/Hatfield, 40, $1000.
5. (13) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/Mullins, 40, $900.
6. (23) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., MBCustom/ASI, 40, $800.
7. (2) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas, MBCustom/KPE, 40, $700.
8. (11) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Sput’s, 40, $650.
9. (10) 1s Travis Saurer (R), Elizabeth, Minn., MBCustom/Dakota, 40, $600.
10. (14) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark., MBCustom/Hatfield, 40, $550.
11. (6) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas, MBCustom/Durham, 40, $500.
12. (8) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., LG2/Cornett, 40, $450.
13. (16) 18z Zane DeVilbiss (R), Farmington, N.M., DeVilbiss/DeVilbiss, 39, $425.
14. (21) 12b Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark., Shaw/Yeoman, 39, $325.
15. (15) 21 Austin Bonner, Elk City, Okla., GRT/Knowles, 39, $300.
16. (22) F4 Fred Wojtek, Blackwell, Texas, Hughes/Wegner, 39, $275.
17. (24) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan., LG2/Speedway, 38, $325.
18. (17) 23g Jim Gress, Amarillo, Texas, GRT/McCabe, 37, $250.
19. (18) 28d Cory Davis, Eunice, N.M., BeakBuilt/BigJohn’s, 22, $250.
20. (19) 49 Vince Ogle, Lubbock, Texas, Shaw/Mullins, 19, $250.
21. (20) 26 Austin Huskey (R), Lubbock, Texas, Shaw/Dubose, 13, $300.
22. (12) 7 A.J. Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas, SRP/PPE, 10, $250.
23. (4) 78 Trevor Egbert, Salado, Texas, GRT/Mullins, 10, $300.
24. (9) 44 Austin Junod, Lubbock, Texas, Hughes/Fletcher, 8, $250.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Lap Leaders: Duvall 1-25, Hughes 26-40.
Total Laps Led: Duvall 25, Hughes 15.
Margin of Victory: 0.375 second.
Time of Race: 15 minutes, 51.767 seconds (2 cautions).
Provisional Starters: Dillard, Kates.
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Scott (started 13th, finished 5th).
Entries: 32.
Next Race: Saturday, May 6, Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, Texas.
Summit Racing Equipment Southern Region Points: Dillard 1484, Hughes 1430, Gustin 1402, Brown 1395, Scott 1356, VanderBeek 1314, Ramirez 1264, Ricky Thornton Jr. 1264, Saurer 1225, Whitwell 1175.
Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year Points: Whitwell 1383, Wolff 1291, Saurer 1219, Kates 931, Billy Vogel 929.
Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 191, Durham 158, ASI 152, Sput’s 134, Hatfield 117.
Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 190, MBCustoms 185, GRT 173, VanderBuilt 136, LG2 133.

Contingency Awards:
Allstar Performance – VanderBeek.
American Racer – Brown.
Beyea Custom Headers – Vasquez.
BigDeal Car Care – Hughes.
BSB Manufacturing – Huskey.
Chix Gear Racewear – Bolton.
Day Motor Sports – Egbert, Junod.
Deatherage Opticians – Gossett.
Dickson Racing Shocks – Bonner.
E3 Spark Plugs – Whitwell.
Edelbrock – Egbert.
Fast Shafts – Gustin.
Forty9Designs.com – Bone, Davis.
Fuel Safe Racing Cells – Dillard.
GRT Race Cars – Gossett.
Hooker Custom Harness – DeVilbiss.
Integra Shocks & Springs – Gress.
Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts – Kates.
Keyser Manufacturing – Wolff.
KSE Racing Products – Scott.
Out-Pace Racing Products – Wojtek.
QA1 – Duvall.
Real Racing Wheels – all non-qualifiers.
Simpson Performance Products – Brown.
Sweet Manufacturing – Sharpensteen.
Sybesma Graphics – Duvall.
Tire Demon – Brown.
VP Racing Fuels – Hughes.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – Brown.
Wilwood Engineering – Houston.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Argo Manufacturing, Casey’s General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, CP-Carrillo, Deatherage Opticians, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, KSE Racing Products, Leaf Racewear & Safety Equipment, Malvern Bank, MSD, Pace Performance, RacerWebsite.com, RacinDirt.com, RacingJunk.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, Summit Racing Equipment, The Joie of Seating, VP Racing Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Oreo, Production Jars, Rancho Milagro Racing, RHRSwag.com, YouDirt.com.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: 905 Ink, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Beyea Custom Headers, BigDeal Car Care, BSB Manufacturing, Day Motor Sports, Dickson Racing Shocks, E3 Spark Plugs, Edelbrock, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance Products, Hooker Custom Harness, Integra Shocks & Springs, Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts, Keyser Manufacturing, Out-Pace Racing Products, QA1 Precision Products, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Sybesma Graphics, Tire Demon, Wehrs Machine & Race Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.